Suspend your judgment for a moment. U-vola, the bizarre-looking watermelon-shaped speaker from Italy, is not a passing gimmick.

All of the design aspects—from the contoured shape to the steel wire that supports it—have been carefully chosen by Alessandro Copetti to create what is, despite its quirky appearance, a well-crafted speaker that performs superbly. U-vola (taken from the Italian l’uovo che vola, or flying egg) is made from a super-rigid material, and because it has no edges, unwanted resonance and vibrations are nonexistent.

The recent addition of a subwoofer ensures that the sound is as full as that produced by systems five times its size.

Copetti, the company’s president and chief designer, acknowledges that his speakers are unconventional, but anyone who offers to finish his product in the likeness of a globe or a watermelon obviously thinks hi-fi should be fun.